School has been in session for almost two months now. As we girls move on through our school year, we now experience campus life, to a degree, as “affiliates” or “non-affiliates.” This experience varies from one person to the next, but how? What are women on campus thinking, feeling and experiencing with their newfound identities as either members of the greek community, or not?
Some of the women interviewed were new members, who are enjoying the sense of community and closeness that’s developing with sorority traditions. One new member of a campus sorority shared, “I was honestly surprised at how awesome the things they do for new members made me feel. The fact that these girls take time to make a really cute craft for you, even though they barely know you, is so cool. It’s like, ‘Hey we’re in this together. Welcome to this huge thing you’re now a part of!’”
Another new member of a different sorority shared, “I like how welcoming all the girls are and how it feels like a family already.” Said another woman of an even different affiliation, “What I like about greek life, now that I am in it, is the opportunity to connect with more people and participate in things like Skit, Airbands and Greek Week. I love the connection I have made with the members of my sorority.”
Newly affiliated women also spoke objectively about their sororities. Said one interviewee, “Greek Life hasn’t changed my life or fulfilled a piece of me that I was missing, but it has helped place amazing people in my life and for that I will always be grateful.” One new member expressed her concern, “I’m having a hard time finding ‘my girls,’ or those who I really connect with. I spend time with people from the sorority, but it’s not like we ‘hang out.’” These are affiliated members who, as one said, “have issues to work through,” but have expressed how happy they are to be in their sororities for various reasons.
Although these women feel like they’ve found a reason to stay in their new sororities, not everyone who accepts a sorority bid stays for the duration of the initiation process. Some women weren’t getting what they wanted from Greek life. Said one student who chose to drop her sorority, “I just didn’t think [the sorority] was the right one for me. I felt like I was forcing myself to like it, and if I knew it was the right one, then it would click more.” Said another student who dropped after rushing, “It wasn’t like I expected it to be perfect. Being in it kind of felt like ASB, with the meetings. It just wasn’t my thing.”
Some unaffiliated women spoke about their decisions not to rush at all. Said one woman interviewed, “It was more about finding people I connected with on campus my way, [rather] than being thrown into an affiliation that I could or could not like.” Said another unaffiliated woman, “I liked not rushing because the rush process made for a very long weekend, and it seemed like a very tiring process… I think that rushing is a fun way to meet new people, especially people that are similar to you, but I am happy that I didn’t rush.”
It is important to remember that no matter how it may seem, there is definitely a variety of life experiences at our school, including Greek and non-Greek life experiences. Whether you are happy, sad, or both about your new affiliation or lack thereof, please remember that you aren’t alone. Maybe a girl in your very sorority, or next-door to you in the dorms, feels exactly the same way!